More thoughts on the Torture Report . . . I went on active duty in the Air Force a year after the POWs returned from Vietnam. The story of their mistreatment and abuse was well known among military people, but really hit home during one of my first monthly Commanders Call meetings where, as usual, we saw the latest Air Force Now film. The main story was about the POW return, showing footage of our airmen descending the ladder of a C-141 at Hickam AFB, saluting the flag officers who welcomed them, and walking to an ambulance bus that was there to take them to the hospital for evaluation and treatment. There were few dry eyes in the theater. During her civilian career in the Navy, my wife worked for Bob Shumaker, one of the longest held POWs, in the F-18 program. Occasionally he reminisced about his years in prison. His most poignant story was about an orange that a guard gave him as a rare act of kindness. Bob kept it on the ledge of his cell window looking forward to eating it at the right time. Unfortunately, the rats got to it first. Two summers ago I flew to Wright-Patterson AFB, where I was once stationed, and visited the Air Force Museum. They have quite a bit of space dedicated to the POW story, their brutal treatment, and their acts of courage and heroism. One exhibit is dedicated to Captain Lance Sijan, who survived for several weeks in the jungle after being shot down, and was then captured and tortured. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The C-141 that transported the first POWs is on static display at the Museum. It carries the Air Force serial number 66-0177 and the nickname Hanoi Taxi. In 2004, former POW Major General Edward J. Mechenbier flew it back to Vietnam to repatriate the remains of two American service members killed in action. The link below is to a video documenting the POW return. Its about 12 minutes long. Please take at least one minute of your time and watch from 2:30 to 3:30, in particular the reaction of the POWs as the wheels lift off the ground. I have read the book Unbroken about Louie Zamperini, who was held as a POW in Japan and tortured. The movie version will be released Christmas Day. Zamperinis chief torturer was Mutsuhiro Watanabe. Late in his life, Zamperini forgave Watanabe and wanted to meet with him, but Watanabe declined the meeting. Zamperini died earlier this year at the age of 97. I have been to the Holocaust Museum and hope someday to visit the concentration camps. A friend of mine posted elsewhere that the men we tortured deserved what they got. My response was simply, you know not of what you speak. What we did was wrong, abhorrent, and inexcusable. Its as simple as that. youtu.be/xj88Wspkn1s
Posted on: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 14:25:23 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015